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Search & Rescue

International law obliges all
vessels to provide assistance to any persons found in distress, making search
and rescue (SAR) a priority for everyone operating at sea.

Frontex’s role in SAR
operations is enshrined in its Regulation 2016/1624. Frontex is obliged to provide
technical and operational assistance to Member States and non-EU countries in
support of SAR operations that may arise during border surveillance operations
at sea.

SAR is a specific objective of
the operational plan of every Frontex joint maritime operation. For this
reason, vessels deployed by Frontex to an operational area are always ready to also
provide support to the national authorities in SAR operations.

It is important to underline that
SAR operations are always coordinated by the national Maritime Rescue
Coordination Centres (MRCC). The MRCC orders vessels that are either the
closest to the incident or the most capable ones (due to the specialised
training of the crew, or the vessels specifications, etc.) to assist in the
rescue. These may include national commercial or military vessels, vessels
deployed by Frontex, private boats and other.

During a standard border control operation,
Frontex-deployed vessels operate under the command of the International Coordination
Centre (ICC), but when contacted by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and
redirected to a SAR operation, it is the MRCC that takes command. Once Frontex
vessels reach people in distress, they first provide immediate medical
assistance and give them food and water. Once a rescue operation is completed,
migrants are disembarked and handed over to the national authorities for
identification and registration. In Italy and Greece, Frontex officers assist
in registration and identification of migrants arriving in hotspots.